Insole.



l. F. PETERS 611. W. DUDGEON.

lNSOLE.

APPL1cAT1oN F1151) sEPT.14.1914.

1,151,609. Pmemed Aug. 31, 1915.

@Hoz-nud BEST AVAILABLE COPY UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES vF. PETERS,`OF LIGONIER, AND JAMES W. DUDGEON, 0F PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

INSOIiE.

T 0 all 'w/Lomv t may concern.'

Be it known that we, JAMES F. PETERS' and JAMES` W'. 'DUDGEoN, citizensof the United States, residing, respectively, at Ligonier, in the countyof Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Insoles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to insoles.

One object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary insolecomposed prefer'- ably of chamois skin and adapted to be worn eitherinside or outside the hose and when worn inside particularly serviceableto prevent contracting rheumatism and colds.

Another object resides in the provision of an insole preferably of soft,pliable, spongylike material so as to act in the nature of a cushionbetween the foot andthe shoe and which does not create heat incident tofriction but which will keep the users foot cool in summer and warm inwinter and which may be easily washed or rinsed in cold or other waterwhen necessary or advisable to clean the sam@ without destroying thesoft or spongy-like nature of the material of which the insole may becomposed.

A still further object is to provide an insole which is provided at theinstep portion thereof with means to effect a free and constantcirculation of fresh air under the wearers instep and around the footincident to walkin(T or running action so as to keep the wearer footcool and protected against heat which latter causes the foot to becomeirritated and sore.

A still further object resides in the provision of an insole, composedof material suitable to cushion the wearers foot throughout its lengthso as to avoid friction and consequent heat and to insure perfect':irculati m of blood in thev wearers foot and thereb \v preventAswelling` of the foot and a consequent unpleasant tired feeling whichalways accompanies hot feet.

ll'ith the above and other objects in view, the, 'present inventionconsists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinaller morefullyv describcwl. illustrated in the acconlprnving drawings. andparticularly pointed ont in the appended clain'is, it being speicaaon ofLetters rama. Patented Aug, 31, 191,51 Application led September `14,19.14. Serial No. 861,665.

understood that changes may be made in the form, proportions, size andminor details without departing from the spirit or sacriiclng any ofthe. advantages of the invent1on.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 1s a perspective view of one formof the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of another form of the invention. Fig. 4L is atransverse sectional view of the second form of theinvention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thereference character5 indicates an insole conforming to the shape of' afoot and which is preferably formed of chamois skin or other spongy-likematerial. The chamois skin being of spongy-like material gives acushioning effeet to the foot and prevents friction as distinguishedfrom an insole composed of hard, sti material. Where there is frictionthere is heat and the present invention is designed to overcome thedisadvantages nuring from hot feet and to prevent unnecessary irritationand soreness and to cure irritated and sore feet in its use.

The present insole may he worn inside or outside of the hose, and ifdesired, it may be provided with perforations 6 throughout its entiresurface, as shown.

At that portion of the insole which is adapted to fit under the instepof the wearer there may be disposed an auxiliary cushioning member 7,preferably in the form of a chamois or other suitable strip of soft,pliable, spongy-like material whose side edges may be stitched orotherwise secured to the side edges of the instep portion of the insole.The ends of the cushioning member 7 are preferably free of the insole topermit of and to cause the free and constant passage of air through thespace or passage between the same and the insole from 'end to end of ythe space or passage. In other words, as the w rarer walks or runs, theauxiliary cushioning member 7 b v virtue of each step of the wearercreates a suction of air into the passage and a discharge of the airtherefrom, maintaining the wearer-"s foot cool in the summer and warmand comfortable .in the winter.

The auxiliary cushioning n'uunber 'T ob` viates the necessityof apartiulariform of` instep support, and if desired, it may be pro- `videdwith 'apertures 8, but in the use of our inventionwe contemplate usingthe insole i .without thesel p erforations 8.

. If desired, we may provide the insole with an upwardly directedextensionwhich forms an air passage leading tothe underside of theinsole to provide for further circulation of air, if desired. Thispassage-extension may be formed in one way by extending the auxiliarycushion 7 beyond one side of the insole, as at 9. To the side edges ofthis extension, a piece of chamois skin or other similar spongy-likematerial 10 may be sewed, as at 11, to the extension 9. This extensionpreferably tapers, as shown, and is open at the top and bottom,providing passage to insure a free circulation of air under the insoleWhether the form of the invention employing this side extension be worneither inside or outside the hose of the wearer.

The upper end of thel extension 9-10 is preferably notched, as at 12,providing Short projections 1 3 on'opposite sides of 'the air passage bywhich the insole may be stitched or otherwise secured to the insideoffthe shoe (notshown), if desired.

The present insole is adapted to be worn inside of the hose or outsidethereof, `in either levent being disconnectedfrom the shoe. It isarranged. looselywithin the hose or the shoe of the wearer and,therefore, gives a free movement of the 4foot and it also insures acirculation of air in the shoe. At each step in walking shoes break attheir arches on both sides thereof admitting air and the foot moves upanddown from the ball of the foot and constantly furnishes air to theinside of the shoe. In the present instance, the insole being loose andunder the arch being formed of two pieces arranged with each other asdescribed, results in the formation of a passage which receives anddischarges air toward the forward part of the foot. When the foot bendsin walking, the body material 5 stretches and the upper piece is causedto contract or wrinkle, thereby providing a space or air passage whichbecomes filled with air and when the foot flattens out the air isdischarged toward the toe and heel of the shoe. The perforations,

,if employed in the body 5 and shorter piece of. material '7, aidmaterially in the movement of the air and also serve to preventadhesion.

From the foregoing it will be apparentthat we have produced a simple,inexpensive,

durable and efficient insole and one which* .and thereby form a BESTAVAILABLE coPv may be readily and conveniently carried When not in use.kY

What is claimed is: f

1. .As anew' article of manufacture, an insole consisting of a bodycomposed of soft material and a relatively short piece of similarmaterial connected at its edges to and intermediate the ends of thelatter, said to contract' the shorter piece of material assage betweenthe pieces of material for air to pass toward both ends of the bodymaterial.

the upper `face of the, body at the edges of i 2. As a new article ofmanufacture, an

insole consisting-of a body` composed of soft material and a relativelyshort piece of similar material connected at itsedges to the upper faceof the body at the edges of and intermediate the ends of the` latter,said body material being capable of stretching to contract-the shorterpiece of material and thereby form a passage between the pieces ofmaterial for air to pass toward both ends of the body material, saidshorter piece of material being extended atone end beyond thecorresponding side edge of the body, and a piece of material secured atits edges to the .extended portion of said shorter piece of material andbeingdisconnected at its ends from the latter so as to provide an airpassage adapted to'communicate with the underside of the body.

3. AS a new article of manufacture, an insole consisting of a bodycomposed of soft material provided with a plurality of perforations,anda relatively short piece of similar material connected to oppositeedges of the body material and having perforations therein, said bodybeing capable of stretching to contract the shorter piece of materialand thereby form an air passage and an air cushion on the upper side ofthe body, and means providing an air passage connected to one side ofthe body intermediate the ends of the latter to direct air under thebody.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my Signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. JAMES F. PETERS. Witnesses:

JAS. T. HUGHES, ORA M. YINGLING.

JAMES W. DUDGEON. Witnesses:

.J. G. VVILKINS,

E. P. SCHAEFER.

